Tag Archives: exercise

Ok, folks, I am stumped. I mean really stumped. If you imagine me as someone that is very rarely at a loss for words…… well, you are spot on. However, this is one of those rare (and valuable for many that know me) occasions, where words just escape me. I know many refer to this as writer’s block; but, I am not sure that what I have is a clear cut diagnosis. You see, I know what I want to write about, I know the thoughts that I want to reveal; however, I seem to be paralyzed beneath the severity of the feelings I want to share and the hope that they don’t get lost in the sensitivity of the topic. I have missed my almost daily interaction with my readers and I have tried multiple times to write an entry on another topic until I could find the words that are eluding me……. but, apparently I have a one track mind that does not allow for a new subject to be broached until the current topic of my obsession has been cleared (this could be a problem!). So, here goes it……

I stumbled across a new blog lately, Eat a Cheeseburger. I like, borderlining on love, this blog. It is spunky, clever and honestly, it makes a valid, much needed point. The media’s obsession with thin, specifically the death-knocking-on-your-door-with-a-sledge-hammer kind of thin, is a message females of all ages are bombarded with daily. This message takes a devastating toll on many girls and has been documented time and again. I spent the last 18 months of my time in high school subsisting on a diet of jelly beans and rice cakes. Why, you ask? Oh come on, you know, it’s that whole sweet ‘n salty thing….. yeah, right! I was desperate to be skinny. My desperation was not as much a result of the media as it was from pressure I felt from home. Either way, from a very young age we learn the “value” placed on being thin.

The “skinny message” must be falling on a few deaf ears though. This is evidenced by the spiraling obesity figures in this country. Childhood and adult obesity rates are increasing every year and we are now seeing this trend in Europe and Japan. And, you know what? This trend has not escaped the media’s attention. Have you seen FOX’s show More to Love? This show is marketed as a “The Bachelor” for girls that literally have more to love…… as in more weight. I have been disturbed by this concept from the word go. So, now the media, realizing the growing number of viewers who also have “more to love” are going to profit from a weight message that is just as dangerous as their get-thin-or-die-tryin’ escapades.

My new favorite blog’s most recent post discusses their “hope that women will not feel pressure to change the way they look just because they are given such a limited view of appearance from the media.” My response – are we really only given a “limited view of appearance from the media”? I am not so sure. The contestants on More to Love present the morbidly obese view of appearance. FOX did not choose to use the average-size 12/14-American-girl (also ridiculously referred to as “plus size”) who in comparison to their The Bachelor counterparts definitely have “more to love” AND offer viewers a realistic, healthy view of appearance. Romanticizing obesity (I weighed 250 lbs during most of my 20’s), dressing it up and advocating an eat-what-you-want-and-dont-worry-about-your-weight approach is just as dangerous as blasting the dont-you-dare-eat-dont-you-dare-even-think-about-it look. There are crippling side effects of both extremes…… life threatening effects.

26 million people in this country are diabetic (95% are type II and the majority of those are obese) and 54 million are pre-diabetic. 80 million people, ALMOST ONE THIRD of the US population are affected by this disease….. the largest risk factor for diabetes? Obesity. I couldn’t agree more with Eat A Cheeseburger’s sentiment of “hoping that women will not feel pressure to change the way they look just because they are given such a limited view of appearance from the media”; however, I hope that we can feel pressured to change the way we look because our survival is dependent upon it. As I sat in a doctor’s office last week listening to the results of a CT scan that revealed a fatty and enlarged liver I was shocked by my physician’s stumbling, stuttering and complete decimation of the word ‘overweight.” She was trying to explain that my weight could cause these results and she says, “your BMI is 28, so, you, are, um……o-o-o-o-o-overweight.” This reminded me of when I thanked my OB/gyn for sticking with her yearly plea, “I need you to lose weight” and she told me that she had lost many patients over that plea. What is going on? We will listen to a magazine, to a TV show, to a blog, to our parents, or our friends……. but those that are charged with managing our health, well, their words, get lost in translation. My docs don’t care if my jeans make my butt look big or if my big butt is just, well, BIG. They only care if my big butt is causing my big blood glucose numbers. That is the only translation that matters.

I promise, I am almost there…… I am almost out of words for this entry and then you can load your cannons and fire away. The entry that got all this started was again from Eat A Cheeseburger –Kids and Dieting: it’s not just the “media’s” fault. Having been skinny-by-starvation and morbidly obese and now being the mother a flawless 2 1/2 year old daughter……. I am beyond sensitive to how I raise her in regards to her body image. Because of my own obesity induced health obstacles, I want her to understand the importance of maintaining a healthy weight…… for her health, NOT how her rear end looks in a pair of jeans! So, when I read this entry and it asked the question, “If Mom is constantly dieting and obsessed with her food portions and her weight and is exercising like a maniac, what type of message does it send to her 4th grade daughter?” I had a fairly strong reaction. I am on Weight Watchers. I exercise 6 days a week. I test my blood 4–5 times a day. I weigh once a week. I can honestly tell you that I do this FOR MY HEALTH. I do this so that I can witness as many days of this flawless creature’s life as humanly possible. Somehow, this could be a harmful message to send her. But, encouraging her to drink water instead of Woo-Hoo or to eat baked sweet potato fries instead of cheese fries, or to exercise, or teaching her to make healthy choices and that she can eat ANYTHING in MODERATION…… well, this message, too, could be lost in translation.

So, what is the alternative? To not say a word? To not teach a thing? To not live by example? I do not think that is right either. For the first time ever, the current generation of children is not expected to live as long as their parents. This is unacceptable to me. I am her mother and for a long time I will be her compass. I will find a way to teach her to love herself, to love herself inside and out, to love herself enough to make the choices that keep her healthy and yes, to love herself enough to change the way she looks if it will help ensure her survival.

I am not sure I have arrived at any great conclusion. In fact, I am pretty sure I have no conclusions. I am also not sure that what I have said hasn’t touched a nerve with someone else. It is not my intent to pass judgement on anyone, it is only my intent to share my thoughts and ask that you share yours.

Whether weight loss is your game or managing your diabetes (or both), you have heard, “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” at least once. Most of us actually heard this at some point growing up or in the process of growing up our own family. Back then it had to do with being at our best during the school day and hopefully having our brain function optimally. These days, it has more to do with trying to jump start a metabolism that has decided to enjoy early retirement or trying to bring down a fasting blood glucose number that seems to peak first thing in the morning.

Breakfast. Just the word conjures visions of french toast, banana nut pancakes, bacon, sausage links, biscuits, gravy, piggies in the blanket….. mmmmmmmmmm! For a weight loss crusader or a diabetic defender, these visions will stay just that….. visions. As a faithful follower of Weight Watchers, I know that you can treat yourself to these every once in awhile, especially if you manage your allotted daily points in a way that allows it. However, as a diabetic there is a question as to the definition of “once in awhile” and as for this diabetic….. treating myself once just creates a vicious craving that I would rather be without! And, bottomline, although those breakfast choices are once-in-awhile options, breakfast is not. Breakfast should be an everyday occurrence for an endless list of reasons; after all, it is the most important meal of the day!

Breakfast. Just the word conjures a steady stream of excuses…… I don’t like to eat in the morning, I don’t have time to eat in the mornings, I am not hungry in the mornings, nixing breakfast helps cut 1/3 of the day’s calories, yada yada yada. When I first started Weight Watchers in 2005 I was one of those I-don’t-like-to-eat-in-the-morning people. After a few months I became very frustrated with losing an average of less than 1 pound a week. My group leader re-addressed the topic of breakfast and its effects on weight loss with me. I decided, heck, if I could figure out how to enjoy exercise, I could figure out how to enjoy breakfast! My new routine became ½ cup of original Fiber One cereal mixed into a 98% fat free Yoplait yogurt, 1 small banana and a large glass of water. Within a month or so of adding breakfast to my day, my average weekly weight loss increased to 1.5lbs a week. I became a Breakfast Believer!

So, my ½ cup of original Fiber One cereal mixed into a 98% fat free Yoplait yogurt, 1 small banana and a large glass of water became my daily breakfast. The only part that varied was the flavor of yogurt. For 3 years – over 1,000 days that included a pregnancy – this was my Old Faithful of breakfasts. When I received my diagnosis of type 2 diabetes in October 2009, I was left utterly dumbfounded. Yes, Old Faithful was healthy; yes, it had contributed greatly to my weight loss (93 lbs) and to my efforts to maintain my loss; yes, it seemed responsible for keeping my “plumbing” in good order; however, in an instant, the arrival of diabetes turned my old friend to a new foe!

This value of this breakfast had been quantified for years as “3 points.” This is fantastic in a Weight Watchers World. Now, it was quantified as “65g carbohydrates.” This is known as one big fat no-no in a type 2 diabetes world. Every diabetic is different and their blood sugar responds to different foods at different times of the day. I tried everything. I tried Fiber One and water, yogurt and water, Fiber One and the banana, the banana and water….. you get my drift. My blood sugar was just not on board with any of the combinations. Now I was stuck. I needed to lose 80 lbs, so I knew I needed to eat breakfast. My mornings are CRAZY trying to get myself ready for work and my 2 year old ready for school. I needed an new Old Faithful. It needed to be delicious, fast, low carb AND low points. How’s that for high maintenance??

Two fellow Weight Watchers turned me on to Egg Beaters. Now, I had eaten them before and I loved them. The key to this “turn on” was that they let me in on a little secret……. THEY CAN BE MICROWAVED! Who knew? Microwaved egg substitute out of a carton gave rise to my current Old Faithful. Not only is it “5 points” and “18g carbs (11 net)”…… it can be prepared in less than 4 minutes and yes, I have timed it on multiple occasions! The punch line – my blood glucose is routinely 120ish 2 hours after my 1st bite. I take the ingredients for the week to work every Monday morning so that i am never left empty handed and tempted to just wait it out until lunch.

Microwave bow of Egg Beaters for 2 minutes, stirring about every 30 seconds. While microwaving eggs, place tortilla on plate and put cheese on tortilla. When eggs are finished put on top of cheese. Top eggs with salsa and sliced avocado. Breakfast Bliss!

Whether we are hustling ourselves to work or hustling children to school, breakfast is just an easy thing to miss. However, once you experience the impact the most important meal of the day can have on your weight loss efforts or how the right breakfast may help decrease your blood glucose faster than skipping a morning meal, you too, will be a breakfast believer!

Do you have an Old Faithful? I would love to hear what made you a Breakfast Believer!

If you are diabetic and have taken to the internet, then you know there is a TON of information out there. It also seems as if most diabetes websites have a “community” aspect to them where you can create your own profile, establish a blog, network with new friends and chat via message boards….. kind of like a diabetic Facebook! The sites are nothing short of a lifeline for both diabetic “rookies” and “lifers.” I troll through the many message boards observing the themes associated with the different stages of type 2 diabetes. I do occasionally comment with the intent to ask a question, answer a question, share a recipe, offer encouragement, etc. I do have 2 rules in the thoughts I put out there 1) no negativity and 2) no confrontations. Yesterday, I semi-broke #2.

I read a message board entry that stated that all diabetic will experience complications, especially if diagnosed young How do you NOT confront that statement? It is like it reached out of the computer and slapped me in the face. If that is true, why am I counting Weight Watchers Points, counting carbohydrates, pricking my find 4-5x/ day, exercising like a mad woman, and why is a blog like this even necessary? Well, I’ll tell you why…. because, despite what my precious 15 year old stepdaughter says, I AM young. I was 31 when I had borderline gestational diabetes and I was 33 when I was diagnosed with type II. I am young and I know diabetic complications are not guaranteed to be part of my future. And, young or old (aka young at heart), I want you to know that the same goes for you!

That statement, even in all its inaccuracy, did raise a few thoughts about the nature of diabetic complications and how we are instructed to prevent them. Many of us have WONDERFUL physicians, I personally have the BEST ; ). However, due to the nature of their job, they give us a glucometer and refer us to a class or individual nutritionist where we learn how many carbs to eat, what kind to eat, when to check our blood glucose and the recommended ranges for blood sugar. Many of us walk away with the assumption that managing our blood glucose is all we need to do to prevent diabetic complications, I know I did. Good thing I am married to a medical student!

Mr. Man, a 3rd year med student, attended a luncheon this week featuring a leading endocrinologist. This gentleman discussed how doctors must begin coaching their diabetic patients to do more than just manage blood sugar. The management of blood sugar is for 3 things in particular – preventing neuropathy, retinopathy and nephropathy. These are 3 very serious common complications of diabetes; but, there are many others and 2 biggies are heart disease and stroke. As a diabetic, preventing heart disease and stroke goes beyond just managing my blood sugar. I, personally, needed to lose 85 lbs (I have 35 more to go). I had to use both diet and exercise so that I would lower my cholesterol (now 150, down from 282 – without medication), lower my blood pressure (now 102/78 without medication), lower my A1c (now 6.1, down from 7.2 without medication) AND lose weight. I am lucky that I quit smoking 3 years ago or smoking cessation would have been added to my to-do list. Obesity, lack of exercise, hyperglycemia and smoking are huge risk factors for heart disease and stroke and managing blood glucose only addresses the hyperglycemia. The guest speaker’s point was received loud and clear: If an diabetic does not lose weight, lower their cholesterol, stop smoking, and/or start exercising they will die from a heart attack or stroke; but, hey, their blood sugar will be on target.

I was diagnosed 10 months ago and just learning to control my blood sugar was all I could handle. About 3 months in I began the weight loss and exercising. You have to start somewhere with baby steps, one at a time. Tackling it all at once would have left me feeling overwhelmed and frustrated…… 2 emotions that are not helpful in the world of managing diabetes and preventing its complications. This is a marathon, not a sprint, and it requires more than just monitoring your blood glucose. My suggestion is to create a timeline for your attack on diabetes. How many months will you focus on learning what foods you can eat and how they affect your blood sugar? When will you begin exercising (what kind, how often, etc)? Once you have that habit in place, when and how will you begin smoking cessation? Give yourself time to adjust to each new baby step and then take the next step. As you step in the ring to fight the good fight…. know there is hope; the proof is in the #’s….. 80% of diabetic complications are preventable! You will find many, many others at all stages of the marathon and most will want to help and encourage you; and, when you are ready to take the next step and add weight loss, exercise, and/or smoking cessation…… well, we will be here for that, too!

Yes, as diabetics we have to do so much more that just monitoring our BG to stay healthy and prevent complications…… but, the good news is that these complications, 80% of them, are preventable. I broke my #2 rule, no confontations regarding others’ posts….. but I felt the message was worth every word!

I am going to step out on a limb here and say that having type II diabetes means facing a number of obstacles – emotional, nutritional and physical. Upon diagnosis, the barrage of emotions – shock, confusion, denial, anger, grief – is staggering. It is not a stretch to say that life as you knew it is a thing of the past. You now have to learn how to eat, drink, exercise, test your blood and the most optimal times throughout the day to do those things. Nutritionally, you must learn how everything – food, drink, exercise, medication – will affect your blood sugar and how to modify each of those things address blood glucose readings that are too high or too low. Physically, you endure the side effects of your new diet and the addition of exercise to your routine. For me, I struggled to find the time to have type II diabetes and be a med student’s wife, a mother, a stepmother, and an employee. This thing literally comes at you from every direction. There is one source of constant feedback that becomes your lifeline….. your glucometer and test strips. The ability to “TEST, TEST, TEST” (you will see this mantra on almost all of the diabetes message boards) allows a type II diabetic to know how their diet and their exercise affects their blood glucose levels without any side effects (technology is so advanced now that most of us don’t even endure sore fingers!).

I am going to go out on another limb and say that those that test are those that have made managing their diabetes and preventing diabetic complications a priority in their daily life. Although the diabetic benefits the most from these efforts, the general population benefits as well. Just research the biggest contributors to escalating healthcare costs in this country. You will see the rising obesity rates and the dramatic impact they have on healthcare’s “bottom line.” Anywhere you see the term “obesity,” diabetes, heart disease and hypertension (bit of humor: my sweet friend who is a nurse calls this the Texas Trio) are sure to follow. The cost of diabetic complications is exorbitant to the patient, those that care for them and the healthcare system. When you consider the financial cost and that 80% of diabetic complications are preventable it becomes apparent how imperative prevention is for so many reasons. Prevention can not be accomplished by new legislation, healthcare reform, or by those that love a diabetic. Prevention is up to each type II diabetic and those that are at high risk for developing the disease (pre-diabetics). Daily blood glucose testing is central to successful prevention. It is a simple and painless method to help manage diabetes; however, always having supplies on hand may not always be so simple.

I recently called my pharmacy to refill my test strips. I was told that my insurance company did not approve the request because it was too “soon” since my last refill. WHAT? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? We are talking about little pieces of plastic that collect my blood. We are not talking about pills, syrups, or anything else that could be harmful if not controlled. We are talking about test strips. We are talking about blood glucose management. We are talking about preventing diabetic complications. We are talking about decreasing the costs of healthcare associated with the 80% of diabetic complications that are preventable. This just absolutely amazes me. These things should be passed out like candy to diabetics. There should be test-strip-bowls in every endocrinologist’s office just like the lollipop bowls at the pediatrician’s. Of all the obstacles diabetics face, obtaining test strips should NOT be one. Those that test are those that have made managing their diabetes and preventing diabetic complications a priority in their daily life. Those that test are making a responsible decision that affects their life, the lives of those that love them and they are contributing – with every single pin prick – to the effort to reduce the cost of healthcare in this country.

So, until my doctor puts out a test-strip-bowl, I am left with 2 choices. 1) Test no more than 3 times a day OR 2) end up going whole days without testing until my insurance agency gives my pharmacy the green light to dispense me my little pieces of plastic. I can tell you that neither option agrees with me and, I am going to step out on another limb here, I am pretty sure the thousands of people on all of the wonderful diabetic message boards would agree. From what I can tell from these amazing folks, we are all working to stay off medications, to take less or be taken off medication completely, to lose weight, the lower our blood glucose levels….. to PREVENT the diabetic complications that are guaranteed if we do not successfully manage are blood glucose. This management begins when we “TEST, TEST, TEST” our blood glucose.

This was more of a venting, slightly political entry. I apologize if I have offended anyone. Have any of you faced this obstacle and found a way to overcome it? If so, please share.

Well, well, well….. I might just have one foot dangling off the edge of my 4 week plateau. So, hold off on heading to Home Depot, I may not need that ladder after all (https://thediabeticdish.wordpress.com/2009/08/07/this-isnt-the-spinach-your-mom-made-you/). The Great Oracle of Weight (the scale) granted a 1.6 lb loss this morning bringing the grand total to -49.4. Yipee-Kie-Aye!! I will consider myself firmly off the vast flatness also know as maintenance when (notice, I did not say IF) I log another loss next week; therefore, losing 2 weeks in a row and hopefully crossing the 50 lb mark!!

So, is a plateau a randomly occurring phenomena OR is it self inflicted? Does your body really just hit a wall, no matter what you do? Or has some change taken place that slows, or altogether stops, your progress? Mr. Man loves to relentlessly taunt me with Ockham’s razor – the principle that “when you have two competing theories that make exactly the same predictions, the simpler one is the better.” How is that for some useless trivia? Hey….. it might just help if you are ever on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? or happen to end up in the Cash Cab in NYC! I do tend to make things more complicated/dramatic/chaotic than they really are, so Mr. Man feels this is a good theory for me to understand. Anyway, back to my point – what is the most simple answer to the cause of a plateau – (a) that the cause is any one of an infinite # of possibilities or (b) we are simply not burning more calories than we take in and we are eating more carbohydrates that our bodies can tolerate?

I have to go with (b). Not only because Mr. Ockham would say so, mostly because it is the only option I can evaluate and change. My wake up call came a week ago as I was sweating my “arse” off on my elliptical machine thinking about my plateau. Do you want to know the truth about me and exercise? We have a very one-sided relationship. I like exercise and I enjoy it as long as it is doing something for me. Sticking my finger multiple times a day falls in the same category – I don’t mind it much as long as I get the results I want. Counting points (Weight Watchers) and carbs, writing it all down and turning down the foods I want the most (think sweets) works the same way as well – I don’t mind any of it as long as I get what I want out of it. See what I mean about one-sided?

I do not care for sticking my fingers 3-5 times a day, exercising 5-6 days a week and journaling my points and carbs everyday only to have high blood glucose readings and maintain the same weight. I just do not like doing those things that much. So, I have 2 choices – stop my fruitless efforts altogether or make the changes that will cause my efforts to bare fruit. Seeing as I am painfully aware of the guaranteed complications that will arise from not managing my blood glucose (of which losing weight is a critical component) and that 80% of these complications are preventable…. making changes is my only option. My plan was to stick to my points (no matter what Mr. Man was eating), stick with the exercise and stick with the routine finger pricks. Results – 1.6 lb loss this week and my fasting blood glucose readings were the only ones that were high. Mr. Ockham is right, the simpler theory was the one that made the most since for the plateau question. I needed to tighten the gears to get my machine running smoothly again.

Here’s the Wal-Mart surprise – stuffed chicken breasts. Do you have a Wal-Mart nearby? If you do, get there as fast as you can. Find the Sam’s Choice stuffed chicken breasts (http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10451529) and brace yourself to fall in love (even Mr. Man fell in love). The jalapeno & cheese stuffed chicken breasts and the mushroom and swiss stuffed chicken breasts are downright sinful and they have 5 points/7 carbs a piece. Trust me, you will want to sing from the mountaintops upon your first bite…. pair this delectable main dish with some mashed cauliflower (https://thediabeticdish.wordpress.com/2009/08/10/lets-do-the-mash-the-cauliflower-mash/) and you have an excellent start to finding the edge of your own plateau or just continuing on down the road of progress. By the way, your blood sugar will love you for it!!

Are you a top your own plateau (weight loss and/or blood glucose)? Have you just moved past your plateau? Please share your stories with me……. I want to hear!

Ok, the term success may be relative here; but, hey, every baby step counts when you are a BWWD2 (Busy Woman With Diabetes 2)! So, my main battle (or should I say WAR?) is with my daily fasting glucose level. I average in the 140’s. According to my endocrinologist this just doesn’t cut the mustard. His recommendation: eat dinner early, exercise after dinner and no snacking before bed. My recommendation: ask him to come over and feed the tot, do the dishes, do the laundry and pack for the following morning while I take care of that! ; ) When possible I will always do as he says; however, when impossible, I will do as I can.

This morning’s fasting glucose reading – 126! Can I get a Woo Hoo? So here is what last night looked like: 55 minutes on the elliptical at 6:15pm (Mr. Man was at home and he fed the tot and got her ready for bed) 8:15 Dinner – Soft Tacos:

1 lb Ultra lean ground meat, 1 chopped white onion – cook onion and then add meat and brown. Drain. Add back to pan with taco seasoning (follow directions on seasoning package). Make sure to check carbs on the seasoning pack! Mine had 4 carbs per serving and one package had 6 servings. The little boogers add up when you aren’t looking!

Yes, I had a second helping which was everything above in a bowl minus the tortilla. Now, some BWWD2 can have that 2nd tortilla. This is labor of experimentation. I am an exceptionally sensitive BWWD2. I can tolerate about 1/2 the carbs recommended per meal for people with diabetes 2. This conclusion was reached after numerous blood testings 2 hours after eating.

Confession: I had 1 tablespoon of Nerds for dessert (yes, the candy and yes, I actually measured them in and ate them right out of a measuring tablespoon!). This contained 14 g carbs and was pure heaven I might add!

I wonder what this morning’s reading would have been under my doctor’s directions? Tonight’s challenge: Mr. Man is on call today; so, I will be eating dinner early with the tot and then excercising before I go to bed. Let’s see what difference that makes…. I’ll let you know in the morning!